INTERVENTION BY THE HOLY
SEEAT THE 59th GENERAL
ASSEMBLYOF THE UNITED NATIONS ON ITEM 35:
"CULTURE OF PEACE"

STATEMENT BY H.E.
MSGR CELESTINO MIGLIORE

Tuesday, 26 October 2004

Mr. President,

For many decades now, the need to promote an effective culture
of peace has been widely acknowledged and, since 1967, the Popes too have played
their part, sending a Message on the first day of January every year to all
people of good will, each time proposing a fresh theme concerning peace and how
to achieve it. These Messages have already started to build up a mosaic of
topics and experiences for the realization of a culture of peace in the sense
under discussion today.

It is very clear that the world needs peace now as much as ever.
My delegation is pleased to seize this occasion to reiterate its confidence in
the United Nations as one of the key institutions at mankind's disposal for the
spread of a culture of peace.

As the Secretary-General mentioned in his recent report on the
work of the Organization, we need only consider the increase in UN peacekeeping
operations during the past year. Similarly, this year has also seen the creation
of a Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, in the struggle to uphold and
protect human rights and the rule of law. With the necessary cooperation from
all its members, the UN can truly be an effective instrument of the political
will of the world’s nations.

In spite of these successes - and initiatives such as the goals
of globalization within this International Decade for a Culture of Peace and
Non-Violence for the Children of the World - the usually more dominant culture
appears sometimes to trigger cultural reactions against true peace and create
suspicions about it. Similarly, globalization seems unable to prevent threats to
peace because cultural revivalism tends to create walls that separate people
from one another. Cynicism emerges from misunderstanding among peoples that are
the results of unnecessary barriers. The concept of security itself has come to
create a continuing tension between national, international and global security
interests.

To address the problems of security at any cost, all labors
toward authentic peace must be nurtured unceasingly, balancing threat-based with
cooperative security interests. The defense of peace, so often a fragile entity,
must be reinforced. This can be achieved by cultivating in the minds of all
people of good will the imperative to become in some way agents of peace. They
are its architects, its builders and even its bridges. Making peace a reality is
possible, through the education of consciences that an openness and respect for
others can produce.

Mr. President,

The 58th session of the GA considered resolutions on the
International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of
the World, on the University of Peace, and on Religious and Cultural
Understanding, Harmony and Cooperation. All three are vital elements of building
peace in the world, but this last item warrants special attention today. We
agreed in last year's resolution that "acts of violence, intimidation and
coercion motivated by religious intolerance are on the increase in many parts of
the world and threaten the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms"
(A/RES/58/128).

Nonetheless, we have to acknowledge that there is already a
foundation to build upon in the area of interreligious cooperation; for example,
the various meetings organized by UNESCO in Central Asia, the Mediterranean
region, both North and West Africa and the Asian-Pacific region. These
discussions covered areas such as terrorism, conflict resolution, HIV/AIDS, the
role of religious leaders in easing tensions, in counteracting the hijacking of
religious values for use as a pretext to justify violence and in supporting
disarmament and non-proliferation.

The devastating effects of conflict usually last generations,
making reconciliation and any semblance of normal life extremely difficult if
not impossible. Although there has been much focus on weapons of mass
destruction, we cannot ignore the many other forms of weapons used in conflicts
around the world. Here, in this discussion, the Holy See raises this point in
order to call for a more energetic commitment to underline the deep linkages
between the promotion of the culture of peace and the strengthening of the
disarmament and non-proliferation process.

Mr. President,

While it is true that the other name of peace is authentic
development for all peoples, my delegation also believes that an important
engine for this peace is political will. Harnessing it will greatly assist this
Assembly to move forward from the imputed perception of being a mere forum for
analysis or a resolution-making machine into a real locus for the cultivation of
transparency and building up of confidence. With political will, the untapped
moral resources of nations can emerge to transform civilizations so that,
finally, they learn to treasure life and promote peace.